Sunday, September 29, 2013

Antiquing Day in the Blue Ridge!

This was the view of the beautiful trees as I descended Buck Mountain and headed toward West Jefferson, NC with an antiquing road trip on the agenda.

The leaves are turning! The air smells so wonderful – I had the back windows cracked down for Sadie, and the sun roof open for me.

Maybe I was a day late, but I didn’t know it when I started out.

I was at my SECOND Antique place before I saw the flyer for the West Jefferson Antiques Festival downtown! Oh my goodness!

It started on Friday – and all the *GOOD* stuff was probably long gone, but you know what? I wouldn't have missed two days of treadling on my patio looking at the beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the distance for anything. At least I was getting in on the second day of it!

We stopped here! Antiques on Main….

With Quilts on the Brain! Ha!

And I wasn’t disappointed! LOVE this Thousand Pyramids quilt with its extra thick batting and primitive quilting.

Close up of fabrics – wouldn’t it be great to do this in recycled shirt prints, throwing in some indigos and reds and shirtings?

1880 Churn Dash--

This is an old top that was more recently quilted, it had poly batting and a poly blend broadcloth backing. But LOVE those fabrics!

1940s Ocean Waves!

mid 1800’s Hovering Hawks….this one was pretty shredded, but the fabrics were gorgeous!

Close up of one block, all points intact!

I really like this frame-and-sashing setting. And the half blocks on the edge!

A blue and gold churn dash. Another setting I like! On point, and sashed.

Close up of one block – love those indigos!

1940s radiant star! The prints in this one are so splashy!

Love the prints mixed with solids.

And I spotted this! It HAD to come home with me!

It is now living in the kitchen at the cabin over the door to the powder room!

And I picked up THESE because I love old irons that are heavy, not plastic, and have no auto shut off!

I love the yellow one! It was $2.99 and the black one was $1.99

How do I know these are the real deal? Because they say things like “Acetate, Dynel” “Acrylon-Creslan” “Dacron-Fortrel-Codel” “Lurex-Arnel-Triacetate” on the yellow one and “Acrylics-Acrilan-Creslan-Orlon-Zefran” and “Silks-Polyesters-Dacron-Fortrel-Kodel” and “Nylons-Antron-Caprlan-Triacetates-Arnel” on the black one.

Do we even HAVE these fabrics anymore? I’m getting visions of the dress I wore to prom one year, it was made of Quiana! Slinky stuff! And those disco shirts and leisure suits…lol!

There are more photos to edit down and upload – I haven’t even posted ANYTHING from the outdoor festival yet, but I want to spend my last day at the cabin sewing, so be watching for those in tomorrow’s post. I took several pictures of some really cool vintage sewing machines, so look forward to those tomorrow as well.

Some have asked why they can’t see ALL the comments. We are up to 712 comments, all of which *I* can see – but Blogger will only let readers scroll back through the first 200. I don’t know the answer to that one, if anyone knows how to change it so they are ALL visible to everyone, let me know, okay? So if you can’t see your comment post, don’t worry – it’s there and I can see it!

If I were Bonnie and had a weekend at Quiltvilla at the end of September, what would I be doing? Sewing on? Um....I expect I'd be working on an upcoming mystery!! Which if I read correctly on FB is exactly what you are doing! :D I must finish Easy Street so I can play along in November. Enjoy the rest of your day there. Sounds like you and Sadie had a lot of fun together.

Wish I were here. We used to go to Franklin, NC all the time. The thing I like best about antique quilts is they always get me out of my color matching box. They put fabrics and colors together which I would probably regard as YUK at the fabric store. I love the color inspiration I get from old quilts.

My thoughts exactly! Quilters of yesteryear showed much more freedom in what they put next to what and where. Perhaps it is because they worked from more limited scrap bags which forced them to make choices from what they had -- -without a whole quilt shop at their fingertips to even THINK about being matchy matchy!

What lovely quilts, especially the Thousand Pyramids.And I remember Quiana all too well as I'd ordered a wedding dress, for a wedding that didn't happen, and would 'visit' it when it was displayed in the store window afterwards, 1976. What WAS I thinking? Both on the dress, and on the intended marriage, lol, so thankful it didn't happen.The dress was lovely though, and that was then and fashionable.

I wanna know how many quilts and tops went home with you??? AND THAT VIEW!!!!! WOWZERS!!! enjoy every minute of it--will you be at the cabin in the Winter if you are not on the road? I look forward to your pictures--thanks for sharing! *~*CAROLE*~*

Ack Bonnie I have that cross stitch in aqua! I got it with other unframed pieces last year at our church yard sale! Getting my Dad to make a frame for it. I plan to hang it over the door in my sewing room!

Thanks for sharing! I sure wish we had antique stores here. ...but I spen my day working a gone fishin quilt for my grandson. A bit of embroidery, appliqué, and piecing. Can't wait for Christmas. Also finished the grand kids Halloween costumes so that I can deliver next weekend when we go for their mom's birthday! I am so blessed. ...and you blog helps it stay blessed.

I HAD that yellow iron! I think it was the late '70's, and I would love to have it back. I have gone through three irons in the last two years - good brands too - and they don't last but that old one was around for years and years; it probably finally died in the mid '90's. What great antique stores you find, there are few around my town and they never have wonderful old quilts. Thanks for the tour.

I still carnation pink /turquoise embroidery thread quilt squares my mother an her friends started embroidering their names on and added a flower , back in 1943 ? Not sure anyway I found them 20 years ago and have tried to make a quilt out of them. I was going to add similar blocks to it so I gave a block to various members Of my mothers family and they all returned them , but life goes on and needless to say they are lost somewhere hopefully in a box. Looking at these antiques has made me NEED to find them. But will have same problem. THE colors are bad bad bad how do I get around them???

Talk about "pressing matters" . . . Those are some serious irons!! Nothing travel sized about them. Happy pressing and thank you for documenting your finds at the antique malls/stores. I can always count on you for a much needed "fix". Hugs, Allison